People & Culture.
People & Culture.
We're a laser-focused team.
Vanguard employs high achievers and equips them with the best safety solutions, training, and industry knowledge, to ensure that our clients are readily and reliably supported to prevent the unthinkable happening.
Clients know us as an energetic bunch, quick to laugh, yet laser-focused on our client responsibilities, leaving nothing to chance. If we can’t help, we’ll tell you who can. Because safety always comes first.
Our Values.
Do the right thing.
Do the right thing.
Make it happen.
Make it happen.
Is there a better way?
Is there a better way?
Add value.
Add value.
Be the difference.
Be the difference.
Meet our team of Vanguardians.
Our end-to-end solutions leave nothing to chance, meet the team who make it happen.
Gareth McLean
Gareth is devoted to delivering exceptional value and customer experience for all of our clients.
He is passionate about team engagement and keeping everything moving to maintain the momentum of this great team. Gareth places high value on customer satisfaction and people development.
After hours he enjoys recreational sport, community projects, and entertaining with friends and family.
Craig McLean
Craig’s passion for helping our clients stems from joining the family-based company in 2001. Starting in the warehouse, he has moved through many roles in the company which has helped give him a well-rounded understanding of the challenges our clients face and where we can best add value.
Craig’s current role as Product Manager involves staying in touch with our clients, and sourcing new opportunities, connections, and service offerings to enable the company to better meet the needs of our clients through innovative safety solutions.
When outside work, he enjoys getting out and about in the countryside with bushwalking, mountain biking and entertaining with family and friends.
Brendan McLean
Aside from his responsibilities as a Director, Brendan's role at Vanguard involves working effectively with key clients to ensure their safety needs are prioritised. His forward-thinking approach helps create new opportunities for continued growth at Vanguard.
Brendan thrives on interaction and innovation, and he enjoys interacting with people and thinking outside the box.
Outside of work he enjoys long distance running, playing music, contributing to various charities and spending time with his wife and family.
Neil Thomson
Neil brings to Vanguard over 25 years experience in Manufacturing, Logistics & Transport Management, and thrives on a fast pace environment that delivers and exceeds customer expectations.
As Vanguards Operations leader, Neil is responsible for the daily running of the Vanguard warehouse team, along with refining and implementing processes that lead to increased operational efficiencies. His role includes managing the full supply chain for Vanguards extensive product range, bringing in vital operational knowledge as Vanguard continues to grow.
In his spare time Neil likes to spend time with family and friends, along with the odd overseas trip. He enjoys watching most sports especially from the comfort of his own living room.
Louis Hart
Louis started with Vanguard in January 2021. He previously sold safety signage for the civil and construction industries. He is passionate about keeping people safe and coming up with new ideas to make his clients' lives as easy as possible.
After hours he likes to go for walks, play the saxophone, and develop his knowledge-base through educational reading.
He loves being part of a committed and passionate team.
Ando Gagiano
Ando is based in Auckland as our Installation Manager for installing all of Vanguards' safety projects.
Bringing nearly 2 decades of experience across management, product service and installation, he's the go-to for making things happen smoothly for our busy clients, ensuring all products and services are completed to Vanguard's highest standards!
Passionate about his work, clients and the team he loves great client and team relationships.
On his down time, he loves spending time with his 4 young daughters and enjoying a good game of rugby. Nothing beats a live sporting or music, event except a good braai with family and friends!
Michelle Gillum
Michelle works side-by-side with the CEO and wider Leadership Team to keep things running smoothly—whether it’s managing a packed schedule, coordinating with teams, or making sure priorities stay on track. She thrives on staying organised, thinking a few steps ahead, and keeping the wheels turning so the big ideas can move forward.
Outside of work, you’ll usually find Michelle with a good book, knee-deep in a home renovation project, or spending quality time with family and friends. She believes in balancing hustle with heart—and always having a sense of humour along the way.
Melanie Saunders
Melanie oversees financial operations to keep Vanguard running smoothly, and enjoys working with numbers to make sound decisions. In her spare time, Melanie is a passionate foodie – and enjoys gourmet cooking.
Angela Smith
Tim Boon
Tim joined the sales team in 2021. He enjoys being part of this energetic and enthusiastic team, and is passionate about excellent service and customer satisfaction.
Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his wife and their 3 school age children, and spends a lot of time walking the many regional parks and reserves around Wellington, as well as mountain biking with his boys.
Baxter Ford
Baxter's role at Vanguard involves regularly visiting clients face-to-face to gain a comprehensive understanding of their requirements for site safety. Since joining Vanguard in 2020, Baxter has become a specialist in safety projects for warehouses and facilities, focusing on tailoring solutions that meet the unique needs of each client. His expertise ensures that safety protocols are not only met but exceeded, creating safer environments for all. Through these visits, Baxter builds strong relationships with clients, offering personalised advice and recommendations to optimise safety and efficiency in their operations.
Outside of work, Baxter enjoys playing music, casual sports, and catching up with mates over a few drinks.
Jared Muller
Jared is focused on safeguarding people and their assets, giving clients peace of mind that their teams are safe at work. He ensures that each customer has the right solution to protect their team, enabling everyone to go home to their families safely at the end of the day.
Outside of work, Jared enjoys spending time with his family. If you're looking for them, you'll likely find them along the beautiful coastline of East Coast Australia.
Marcus McLean
Marcus leads Vanguard's Roading and Infrastructure division with expertise in traffic management and road safety. He leads R&I projects across New Zealand, focusing on providing quality safety solutions that ensure our clients' projects run smoothly and on time. Marcus is dedicated to bringing a solution-oriented approach to our clients' challenges, prioritising the safety and efficiency of every project.
Outside of work Marcus likes to run and participate in team sports. As well as spending time with his wife and family.
Narissa Strauchon
Narissa is a vital member of Vanguard's Roading and Infrastructure division, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience. She excels in providing exceptional support to our R&I projects and sales initiatives, ensuring smooth and efficient operations. Narissa's dedication and expertise make her an invaluable asset to our team.
Outside of work, Narissa enjoys spending quality time with friends and family, as well as her dog Wolf. She loves traveling to warm destinations with beautiful beaches.
Kim Gray
Ferg Deck
Ferg has been in the workplace and safety industry for over 20 years and now leads DexSafe sales across New Zealand and Australia. He’s all about making safety simple and effective and assisting his clients to make informed choices. Whether it’s a small install or a large-scale project, he’ll work closely with clients to deliver solutions that really hit the mark.
When he’s not talking barriers and bollards, he’s usually chasing after his young family, experimenting in the kitchen (BBQ roasts, pizzas and curries are the go-to), or getting out and about for a bit of travel and family time.
Braden Thomas
Braden's main role is supporting our sales consultants by quantifying and quoting installation work along side managing these projects.
The part Braden loves the most about working at Vanguard is being part of a inspiring and energetic team that is dedicated to ensuring customer health, safety and satisfaction.
Outside of work, Braden enjoys being outdoors either exercising or just relaxing and socialising with family and friends.
Jessica Pleasants
Jess’s role involves assisting customers with their orders and projects to make their sites a safer place. She loves to help people and brings a wealth of sales and admin knowledge to the sales team.
In her spare time she enjoys snuggling up with her cat, reading a good book, baking new things and building Lego.
Rebecca Freeman
Rebecca is a key member of the SST team, focusing on assisting clients and ensuring their needs are met with the highest level of satisfaction. She thrives in her role, enjoying the opportunity to interact with clients and make their experience positive and fulfilling.
Outside of work, Rebecca loves spending quality time with her family, children, and their many pets. She also enjoys socialising with friends and creating lasting memories.
Jackie McGuinness
A natural problem solver, Jackie brings a wealth of skills to help create a safe and supportive environment for our internal sales team and clients. In her spare time, she enjoys discovering different cultures by trying out local restaurants with international cuisine.
Hannah Goddin
Hannah is a key part of understanding Vanguard's clients needs, by building a relationship of trust and communication, and delivering solutions and service that exceed their expectations.
She's truly passionate about getting current and potential client safety challenges solved.
Outside of the office Hannah is a full time mum!
Gary Whiteman
Gary brings two decades of experience in the construction sector and enjoys collaborating with people to achieve solid and safe outcomes for projects requiring pedestrian, traffic & plant safety.
After hours, you will probably find him bashing some tunes out on the piano and enjoying walks and hikes with his wife and three teenage children amongst the great scenery spots we have in this country.
Oliver McLean
"What I enjoy most about my role is meeting new people, getting to know what they do in their role and what their challenges are, and being able to pair their needs with effective product solutions that help them and their staff to do their jobs safer and more efficiently. I believe in forming strong business relationships based on trust, honesty and reliability, and I take a genuine interest in solving people’s challenges with fit-for-purpose solutions, over against just trying to ‘sell products’ for the sake of it."
Outside of work Oliver is a fan of downhill mountain biking, playing the drums, casual sport, and catching up with mates over a few drinks.
Cameron Madams
Cameron is a passionate and accomplished videographer with a keen eye for story and brand. With experience in both commercial and narrative filmmaking, Cameron brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Vanguard’s Sales and Marketing teams. Cameron enjoys bringing human stories to life through warmth, humour, and collaboration.
Outside of work, you’ll find Cameron at the cinema or sharing a drink in the sun with friends and family. He’s also a keen writer and filmmaker whose short films have screened in numerous festivals worldwide.
Amber Wilkinson
Abbey Palmer
Lincoln Rose
Lincoln is in our warehouse team, and is primarily focused on packing and dispatching orders as efficiently as possible while maintaining a tidy and safe workspace.
In his spare time, he enjoys keeping an edge on his fitness by sparring!
Andrey Matushkin
Andrey is a warehouse team member responsible for dispatching orders. Andrey has vast knowledge and expertise in various fields to share with the Vanguard clients.
In his spare time, he enjoys doing yoga, fishing and spend time with his children!
Danniel Kahui
Dan is an essential part of the warehouse team, taking charge of receiving and picking orders while maintaining an organised and tidy workspace. He enjoys staying busy and appreciates the opportunity to learn new things each day in his role.
Outside of work, Dan enjoys playing golf, going ten-pin bowling, and spending quality time with his family.
Our culture is a big deal.
And it’s vital to our status as an employer of choice.
Every month Vanguard employees nominate peers who best demonstrate our core values at work.
The team member with the most nominations get a paid half-day off. This and other initiatives ensure Vanguard maintains a healthy and happy workplace.
It seems to be working – workplace specialists TINYpulse recently recognised Vanguard’s team as the happiest in our industry.
Working for us.
If you want to be part of a team of high achievers constantly striving to create safer workplaces then check out careers at Vanguard
